Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-05-28
THE PARTISAN HORROR.

Parin (vla Havre), May 26-Ihe opera
Comlqae was totally burnt last evening.
The fire caught in the curtains from q
row of gas jets in the flies. Two thou
sand people were in the theater. The
performance was "Mignon." At exactly
q quarter after nine the curtain was just
about to fall at the end of the first act. |
Mile. Marguillier, who as Philene, was
singing o waltz song to chorus sccom-
paniment, suddenly CEASED and disap-
peared. She had stood in front of the
cottage at the right of the stage, over
hung with trees, when shadows OF glow
ing oinders began falling about her. The
instant she vanished Monsieur Taskin,
who sang Lothario stepped to the front
amid the falling embers and said:"Don't
move: its nothing" In the stalls and
pit where the danger was most evident,
the audience began rapidly but quietly
to leave the house, In the galleries where
the magnitude of the fire was not visi.
BILE the people remained seated. By the
time the stalls were emptled the house
| was full OF smoke, and the entire stage
ablsze. Scenes of terror followed. The
screams of ladies mingled with the
shouts Of the people upon the stage. The
frantic crowd tramrled over each other,
pretty women in full evening dress, the
delicious toilettes OF Worth and Felix
Rouff, rushed pell NELL with the show
| girls and %cocottes, and came pouring out
like an avalanche into place Bollediew.
Oloaks and wraps, of course. were left
behind. A cold rain came down steadily,
but luckily not a breath OF wind. Other
scenes of panic occurred in rue Favare,
where from the stage entrance bevies of
%fgurantes and ballet girls half dressed
came tearing into the streets, followed
by the chorus of singers, scene shutters
and carpenters. No one knew that the
fire had been fatal to hundreds of people
in the gallaries. The police and fire.
men declared that most OF the people
escaped.
/ had an interview with M. Taskln
who was singing the role of Lothario
when the fire broke ont. Taskin said:
al said to the audience the moment /
saw the flames, don't move; it's nothing
[ then vent to the Dom OF M. Csryalho,
the director of the Opera ComIque. 1t
was 80 hot in the ~passageway that /
thought | should roast to death. With
q violent push OF my shoulder | burst
through the partition. 1t was then that
| was slightly wounded by a portion of
o burning beam that fell on my arm.
Having broken down the partition L
reached Caryalho's room, nearly suffooa.
ted, but found that the french had
already taken HIM away safe. l return
ed and aided two figurantes to get safely
out by the exit on rne Merlvaux. l
think then number snffocated will not be
known for several days, for i saw many
APPARENTLY ~lifeless bodies in the galleries"
| saw Mile, Margaillier at her resi-
dence No. 8, rue Saint Lazare, at mid
night, surrounded by friends. Excellent
artist that sue is, b re-enacted while
speaking, the dreadful scenes Of the eve
ming. "Ah, my poor theatre, | loved it
80" she exclaimed, tragicsliy. sit seemed
part OF me. l was in the scene with the
choristers when the fire began. / had
finished the duet with Monsieur Soula-
crol when he said to me, raising his eyes,
look, we are atire. Save yourself with
out delay ( Left the stage in the midst
of the scene, but Notwithstanding cast
my eyes over the auditorium where al
ready the people were sprinRing to their
feet, climbing over the stalls and rushing
rearward with cries of terror. L hurried
to the green room where I hoped to
find comrades whom / could accompany
to he's stage entrance, but it was deserted
and almost dark. The loneliness terri
fled me, but [ tried to collect my
thoughts. i remembered thsta corridor
running parallel with rue Meriaux ended
in an exit reserved for the gdministra-
ton. In two seconds j was face to face
with that door. IL was fast. I knocked
violently with bleeding knuckles, but
without nswer. At that moment / was
filled with q terrible anguish. I. was
caught In q trap. I was lost. My re.
treat across the stage was cut off. /
felt that behind me were unknown
horrors. 1 knew not where to turn for
aid. Already the corridor was full OF
smoke which chased me. Then in sheer
helplessness and despair / shrieked. A
voice without answered, We will save
you. The door was burst in and /
tainted. l came to in a cafe on rus
Merivaux. Then, after a little time
[ came home. Lam sure That many un.
fortunate people have been lost. Oh! /
am SO sorry" and rolling her great eyes
heavenward, she looked all she said.
The CONSERVATION was increased to-
night by a terrible discovery, similar to
that made after the burning of Brooklyn
theater In December, 1876. At II
O'Clock pompiers working with picks
came upon q mass of human remains,
from which they dragged forty corpses,
There are many more now who certainly
are in the derbis OF the theatre. Follow.
ing are the latest official figures: TotaI
number of bodies found 30
% of whom have been Unidentified
tl3 severely wounded, &C
slightly wounded, and 100 missing; thai
is to say, whose relatives and friends
have reported to the police as having gone
to the Opera Comique Wednesday night
but have not turned up. This brings the
total list OF casualties up to 126. Crowds
stand around the police stations eagerly
gazing at the face of each newly I'M.
earthed victim with the hope OF finding
a father, or mother. or brother, or sister
The streets ARE filled with women il
tears. No Americans are among the
dead, nor wounded, nor missing. Owing
to the courtesy of the project of police
Monsieur Gragnon, I was permitted tc
be present at the CHASTITY work Of extri-
eating the bodies of the victims FROM
beneath tie ruins. Nearly ell the bodies
are those of weil-dressed persons. Mos
all still have OF their gloves. Many
bodies are twisted into strange, wierd
shapes, and some seemed brolled as il
on gridirons. Under the debris of o
narrow stair case I saw o group
OF seven corpses, whose charred and
blaekened members were Intertwined in
almost LAGOON coils, One of these was
that OF 3 woman whose face was literally
roasted like an ovedone piece of beef,
In her ears glistened q pair of large So
litaire diamond earrings. The right
arm was fractured and the left arm was
L ryNy,p7 otN1nt a - ou,ol1ox nou~,n